Princess Transfer

[cruisealot54]

Question on Princess Transfers.....Do you use them or go on your own. We have used Princess Transfers twice and neither time was it a pleasant experience. We have decided to go it own our own in Ft Lauderdale. I checked the prices of the hotel w/ transfers from Princess and the price of booking the hotel on our own (Same hotel & room for comparison). It is more expensive to book on our own but; 1) we get to choose our room (we want a ocean view) 2) we get to decide when we go to the ship on day of embarkation 3) we don't have to wait around for shuttles. We decided that spending the extra money is worth the savings in aggravation. What do you do??

[Toto2Kansas]

I never use Princess transfers in Fort Lauderdale. Much easier and less expensive to do it on your own. You made the right decision there. ;) Enjoy!

[Tralynn]

Stopped using the cruiseline transfers a long time ago. It's always easier to have your own transportation and hotels lined up. That way you get exactly what you want and never feel like cattle.

[Rockymountainsparky]

You ought to look at the Florida hone ports thread for info about hotels and transportation. I'm sure you'll find some great advice there that can save you alot of money.

[gmros]

Question on Princess Transfers.....Do you use them or go on your own. We have used Princess Transfers twice and neither time was it a pleasant experience. We have decided to go it own our own in Ft Lauderdale. I checked the prices of the hotel w/ transfers from Princess and the price of booking the hotel on our own (Same hotel & room for comparison). It is more expensive to book on our own but; 1) we get to choose our room (we want a ocean view) 2) we get to decide when we go to the ship on day of embarkation 3) we don't have to wait around for shuttles. We decided that spending the extra money is worth the savings in aggravation. What do you do??

 

Hi Deb, do you mind telling us what your experience was with the Princess transfers? We booked them for SJU to the pier. They were cheaper. Thanks!

[obnurse]

I agree you made a great decision. YOU decide when you go to the ship. One time we landed in FLL and the nice lady met us, only to tell us to get our luggage and she'd be back in 1 hour to pick us up to take us to our hotel! Who wants to wait around in the airport an extra hour? She said the bus load of passengers were already upset because they had been made to wait a long time and she didn't want to wait for us to get our luggage! We all paid money for that great convenience! I felt as bad for the bus load of excited cruisers as I did for us.

[cherylandtk]

In FLL that is definitely the best way to go. You have control over a lot more and the cost of a taxi for up to four people is less than the cruiseline transfer for just one person. And remember that the hotel cost by the cruiseline is Per Person, so the hotel cost may actually be a wash.

 

The only time we consider using cruise transfers any more is when the port is a l-o-n-g distance from the airport and other options are not readily available. Such as Anchorage to Whittier.

[cherylandtk]

Hi Deb, do you mind telling us what your experience was with the Princess transfers? We booked them for SJU to the pier. They were cheaper. Thanks!

I think she already did:

We have used Princess Transfers twice and neither time was it a pleasant experience.

Not that you asked, but if you can, I would strongly urge you to cancel your Princess transfers and take a taxi in SJU. Much faster, price is set rate ($19 for taxi from pier to airport, plus $1 per suitcase, $1 late night fee after ~10 pm) You can put up to four people in a taxi and you do not have to wait for the bus to full up nor do you have to take the bus-accessible roads.

[robtulipe]

You ought to look at the Florida home ports thread for info about hotels and transportation. I'm sure you'll find some great advice there that can save you alot of money.

 

Yes, I agree, there is great advice there re booking hotels such as using online travel sites where you bid for your hotel room. Even advice about rental cars and taxi fares. Also consider getting a rental car as there a shared rental car company shuttle bus for transportation between FLL and Port Everglades. For our last cruise out of Port Everglades, since we were coming from north of FLL, I dropped off DW and luggage at port, returned our rental to the airport and took that shuttle back to the port to avoid having to handle luggage on shuttle. Since this was done very early that day, check in hadn't started by the time I got back to the port and shortly after I returned, embarkation started.

Prior to that same cruise, which was last Spring, I booked a rental car/hotel package from the travel site I used for our airline tickets. That got us a compact rental car and a 1BR Best Western suite for just under $100 all taxes and fees included except for CWD and optional insurance on the car. I didn't need the latter as I have other coverage for this. Granted the hotel was about 15 miles north of the airport but with a rental car that didn't concern us as we were touring and shopping the day prior to embarkation as our flight came in early that day.

[robtulipe]

Not that you asked, but if you can, I would strongly urge you to cancel your Princess transfers and take a taxi in SJU. Much faster, price is set rate ($19 for taxi from pier to airport, plus $1 per suitcase, $1 late night fee after ~10 pm) You can put up to four people in a taxi and you do not have to wait for the bus to full up nor do you have to take the bus-accessible roads.

Actually that rate is good for the first five passengers and the sixth and seventh is only $2 each more. We've done taxis tranfers with six passengers there as most taxis in SJ are vans. IMO if there is lots of luggage it may be hard to do it with six in. Here is the SJ taxi fare chart.

 

[gmros]

I think she already did:

Not that you asked, but if you can, I would strongly urge you to cancel your Princess transfers and take a taxi in SJU. Much faster, price is set rate ($19 for taxi from pier to airport, plus $1 per suitcase, $1 late night fee after ~10 pm) You can put up to four people in a taxi and you do not have to wait for the bus to full up nor do you have to take the bus-accessible roads.

 

I understand she said it was not a pleasant experience, but in what sense? The shuttle was late, worn down, too small, too big, dirty and stinks, driver is rude, etc?

 

But I've read obnurse's post after mine and now you mentioned that you have to wait at the airport to get the bus filled. I will see if I can cancel my transfer. I can live with driver being rude, etc (if that was the case); but not when I have to wait an hour or so at the airport for the shuttle to get filled.

 

Thanks!

[gertz]

What ever we consider to our advantage we do. In FLL we do it ourselves, but we seldom go to FLL anymore. In LA we use Princess. And if we are not sure we will use Princess.

[Lvs2Cruise2]

I have booked transfers and a hotel package through Princess for our upcoming Coral cruise which leaves out of Acapulco. The reason I did this is because of safety issues in Mexico. Plus when I looked at a map the airport or the hotel is near the pier. I hope I made the right decision, because checkout for the hotel is noon, so I'm hoping to go right to the pier at that time.

[cruisealot54]

Hi Deb, do you mind telling us what your experience was with the Princess transfers? We booked them for SJU to the pier. They were cheaper. Thanks!

 

The problems we had were as follows: Auckland- dumped in a big waiting room at hotel - no rooms were ready, took 2 hours. Ft Lauderdale, stranded at airport for 1 1/2 hours (standing against a wall) waiting for shuttle - the Princess reps said that they were not prepared for so many people. My question to them was why not, didn't you book the transfers? Plus the day of embarkation we had to wait in a large room waiting for them to call us up for transfer to the ship, did not get there till close to 2.

 

I like to be in control of my time, so for us, we are chosing not to use the transfers. Others may have had positive experiences, so this is My option only. Good luck

[gmros]

The problems we had were as follows: Auckland- dumped in a big waiting room at hotel - no rooms were ready, took 2 hours. Ft Lauderdale, stranded at airport for 1 1/2 hours (standing against a wall) waiting for shuttle - the Princess reps said that they were not prepared for so many people. My question to them was why not, didn't you book the transfers? Plus the day of embarkation we had to wait in a large room waiting for them to call us up for transfer to the ship, did not get there till close to 2.

 

I like to be in control of my time, so for us, we are chosing not to use the transfers. Others may have had positive experiences, so this is My option only. Good luck

 

Thank you Deb! I will call my TA tomorrow to try to cancel our transfer reservation. I will follow cherylandtk and everybody's advice to just take a taxi.

[mytime53]

Hi Deb, do you mind telling us what your experience was with the Princess transfers? We booked them for SJU to the pier. They were cheaper. Thanks!

 

Last year, we arrived at SJU right when many flights carrying passengers for the CB were arriving. We got our luggage, hopped in a cab, and had been checked in for some time (including a stop at the duty free) before the first buses of cruisers using Princess transfers arrived. And then, of course, check-in took longer for them because so many people got there at once.

[cruisealot54]

Thank you Deb! I will call my TA tomorrow to try to cancel our transfer reservation. I will follow cherylandtk and everybody's advice to just take a taxi.

 

Good luck and I hope you will be happy with the decision. I do agree however with other posters; I'd be more apt to use the Princess Transfer in a country where I did not speak the language or if the airport was far from the port.

[dancing lady]

Would you or have you used Princess transfers? Why or why not?

[robtulipe]

Would you or have you used Princess transfers? Why or why not?

When we sailed out of NYC we used a taxi for our transfers between LGA and cruise pier. It was cheaper, quicker and more convenient than the ship's transfer by bus. According to the web site below the cost should be approximately $32 plus gratuity.

What is the Princess transfers price per person each way?

 

http://www.worldtaximeter.com/new-york?to=Brooklyn+Cruise+Terminal&from=LGA&time=09-04&phone_booking=

[berniece2000]

You've all got me thinking now....we have ground transfers booked for SJ, but perhaps a taxi would suffice (there are four of us). QUESTION: I'm already completely paid up for the cruise. Do you think it's too late to cancel the transfers? I guess a phone call would tell me....

[dancing lady]

When we sailed out of NYC we used a taxi for our transfers between LGA and cruise pier. It was cheaper, quicker and more convenient than the ship's transfer by bus. According to the web site below the cost should be approximately $32 plus gratuity.

What is the Princess transfers price per person each way?

 

http://www.worldtaximeter.com/new-york?to=Brooklyn+Cruise+Terminal&from=LGA&time=09-04&phone_booking=

Princess transfers are $29 each way per person.

[kands6191]

I just booked the Princess pre-cruise hotel package in FLL at the Embassy Suites. I booked it out of frustration and here is why.

 

We are sailing on 12/3 from FLL. DH and I arrive at the Miami airport on 12/2 at 7:45 PM. I have searched for transportation from the airport in Miami to a FLL area hotel. I have read a few recommendations on CC but they are all going from FLL to the Miami airport, not the other way around. One site I found seemed like a possibility and I think it might be about $30 per person.

 

I had been looking in the Dania/Airport South area for a good hotel. I found a couple but the closer you got to restaurants (we will be walking), the more they cost. $119-$129 before tax. They had free shuttles to the port in the morning, but not all of them had free breakfasts. I have never used Priceline or Hotwire and I'm a little concerned about what hotel I could end up with and whether I could find transportation to it.

 

I also looked into renting a car which we did once in the past when we were there for a good portion of the day before. It was a little bit of a hassle to return it to the airport and catch the shuttle to the cruise port. I think I could get a car for about $45. Having a car would mean that we could get to any restaurant or hotel we wanted though. Still, it is a bit of a hassle to return it....and last time we were actually hit in Miami by a shuttle bus (thank goodness there was no damage).

 

If we use the Princess package it will cost $230 tax included and I like the idea of being near the water taxi since we have never been there. I hoped we could find a place for a bite to eat or a cocktail.

 

Other posters have said the morning shuttle can be quite slow to get going so we may skip that and take a cab which I understand would be about $15-$20 from the Embassy Suites.

 

If anyone has any other suggestions or experiences with being picked up by Princess in the Miami airport, I would sure appreciate it. My head was spinning trying to sort through it all.

[caribill]

Also consider getting a rental car as there a shared rental car company shuttle bus for transportation between FLL and Port Everglades.

 

Most of the car rental companies have opted out of the shuttle to the port. Only customers of National and Alamo qualify now.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

In the US we take care of it

[gargoyle999]

I'm using the Princess transfer to go from Port Everglades to MIA after our transatlantic cruise in Oct. :)